Oprah Winfrey
The talk show host was crowned Miss Black Tennessee at 17 years old.
Shortly after, Oprah hung up her tiara and started her career as the youngest and first black news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV.
She went on to host ‘AM Chicago’ in 1983, which later became ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ when she helped it become the highest-rated show on the network.